Good People: Stories From the Best of Humanity - Edited by Gabriel Reilich & Lucia Knell - ★★★★.¼

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EDITORS: Gabriel Reilich & Lucia Knell
GENRE: Inspirational Nonfiction
PUBLICATION DATE: September 3, 2024
RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A compilation of some beautiful anecdotes collected by the good people from the Upworthy site. Offers a bouquet of positive sentiments. Warms the cockles of the heart. Stokes the embers of hope. Revives the spirit of helpfulness. Restores faith in humanity… [You get the drift!]


Our species vainly calls itself ‘humankind’. (It equally vainly calls itself ‘homo sapiens’ – ‘wise humans’; Hah! – but let's not go there for now.) Lately, whatever we read in the media (physical or virtual) makes us feel like the “kind” part of “humankind” has been forgotten. This book emphasises that the suffix of that abstract noun hasn't faded away.

I hadn’t heard of Upworthy before seeing this book’s blurb, so looking it up online was a joyous endeavour. It seems similar in spirit to ‘The Better India’ and ‘Wholesome Meets the Internet’, both sites I follow for getting my daily dose of positivity in this hate-filled world. Upworthy now gets added to this elite ‘good news’ group. In a world where a majority of people thrive on spreading hatred (and some spreading ONLY hatred for whatever foolish reasons), such little nooks of happiness on the vast internet can make a huge difference to our mental health.

This book contains 101 stories about “good people”. I found 101 the perfect number for two reasons: (1) In India, cash gifts are often given in amounts of a ‘round figure + 1’, such as ₹501 or ₹1001. One of the many reasons for this is the idea of ‘barkat’ (increase) – to wish for an abundance of good fortune and blessings on the recipient. As 0 denotes an end and 1 denotes a beginning, it also indicates the hope for more and better – just like this book does. (2) The book has the same aim as the popular ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ series, and every Chicken Soup book also has exactly 101 stories. So this is a good way of paying ode to another series that promotes the best of humanity. (Not sure if this was intentional.)

While the Upworthy site contains plenty of heartening stories, the content in this book is completely original and not taken from their site or sm pages. Thus, even if you are a patron, you get new anecdotes in this collection.

The introductory note explains how this book came into being with the help of their followers. Then we get six chapters, each based on a theme such as the kindness of strangers or travel-related tales.

The anecdotes come in two lengths: either as a proper essay or as a small tidbit akin to the little snippets we used to find in Reader’s Digest sections such as ‘Humour in Uniform’ or ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’. While I liked this dual structure, I wasn’t too happy with the little highlighted sections in the longer articles, the way magazines take a random line and put it in a separate box. It was distracting, and felt redundant.

Every anecdote shared in this book is, at least, good. A majority are great. Many even caused my eyes to recollect the sorrow of chopping onions. There is much comfort, reassurance, hope, inspiration, and goodness in this book. But the best of all is the life lessons. The book proves that helping others doesn't have to be through grandiose gestures. Even tiny offers of assistance mean a ton. (I've experienced this multiple times in my life; little things go a long way.) There are also many stories where the writer is battling life struggles we have been privileged enough to escape. Their bravery in the face of such adversities makes us acknowledge that our crosses are tiny in comparison. The whole experience is overwhelming, in the best way possible.

There are some cute illustrations in between, but even without these, the book would have been a solid rec.

All in all, definitely a good book that would work even better if you don’t read it at a go. (It feels repetitive after a point.) Just open it at random and get your daily fix of positivity. If you are a believer in prayers or affirmations, whisper a blessing for the do-gooders mentioned in the book as and when you read their story. It’s an easy way of paying it forward when the person is unknown to you.

Recommended to nonfiction readers who like true-life positive stories on the lines of ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’. The coffee table format makes this a wonderful gifting option during the festive season.

My thanks to National Geographic for providing the DRC of “Good People: Stories From the Best of Humanity” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


Interested in a more scientific-minded nonfiction work that statistically confirms the existence of the kindness of humankind? Check out Rutger Bregman’s “Humankind: A Hopeful History” – so amazing!

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